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I'm on the fence with regard to the choice these players have made as there are good arguments for both sides. I don't think it reflects any lack of interest in playing in the Ryder Cup. I guarantee they are as excited as everyone else about representing Europe.

Sometimes you just have to make tough decisions and stick to the schedule that you've planned. They're probably more frustrated at the fact that they haven't played their way onto the team. A good showing this week well may be enough to get the pick that they need.

For me, the Ryder Cup definitely hasn't lost any of its sparkle in the players' eyes. You still hear a lot of the guys saying that making their respective team was the main goal this year. You also see a lot of the guys on the bubble maybe playing a little more often in the second half of the year, trying to get as many points on the board as possible to secure their spot. The Ryder Cup is definitely the biggest event in golf.

There's a lot of hype over here in the US, largely helped by the "will Pavin pick Tiger?" question. I haven't been back home for over 10 years to catch the pre-Ryder Cup build-up in Europe, but I think that it's maybe a little more intense.

It's still a huge event for the US but I think that Europeans maybe look forward to it just a little bit more and have more passion. It's pretty clear though that once the competition gets underway both teams will do everything they can to win. You just can't beat the intensity; it's what makes it the most exciting sports event to watch in the world.

There has been a lot of talk over here about the US being underdogs due to the fantastic strength of the Europeans and the great year that European golf has had. That's something that scares me a little bit as it was the same two years ago and we all know who won that one!

The European team is a little stronger on paper. However, both teams are so unbelievably close and talented that what it says on paper doesn't mean anything. It's possibly an advantage to be the underdog as it takes a lot of pressure off.

This European team has already been labelled as maybe the strongest of all time. All that does is add extra pressure to the guys. There's a big difference between being expected to win and believing you will win.

So, will Pavin pick Tiger? I don't think there's too much doubt about that to be honest. It's an incredibly hard thing to leave out the number one ranked player in the world, and maybe the best player to ever play the game.

Even if Tiger hasn't been at his best this year he still is Tiger Woods. A lot has been said about how he played at Firestone last month, but I think if you look at his major results this year (4th, 4th, 23rd, 28th) it shows that his game is still pretty good despite all that's going on.

We're just used to him having a chance to win every week he tees it up. If you gave those major finishes to someone that's in the running for a captain's pick, it would only help their cause.

I hope Pavin does select Tiger as it would definitely bring an extra edge to the competition. I just can't wait to see how it all turns out. I really hope it's a close battle with Europe just clinching it at the end of the singles, with someone forever remembered as the player who sank the winning putt. I will definitely be watching...